George will need to get defence up to speed

WALES AND LIONS LEGEND SHANE WILLIAMS I WAS surprised and delighted in equal measure to see Warren Gatland reveal George North...

Kidney ‘will revive Irish spirit’

By NEALE HARVEY DONNCHA O’Callaghan says Declan Kidney is the ideal man to revive London Irish after revealing how the head...

No place in cup for Tier Two

THE Anglo-Welsh Cup is to be replaced by a new Premiership Rugby Cup from next season. The new competition will include...

Blommetjies eyes Wales route after Boks snub

By STEFFAN THOMAS CLAYTON Blommetjies hopes his move to the Scarlets can help him one day star for Wales and emulate...

Stop talking rubbish Eddie – just give Cips a fair crack

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points EDDIE Jones is famously good for a quote...

Victories come at a cost to Jaguares

New skipper: Lezana THE Jaguares are beginning to bare their teeth after four consecutive road trip victories – two in Australia...

Stats show Goode and Gibson should be on the plane

I HAVE both a love and a healthy scepticism regarding statistics generally but the end of season Opta stats are always...

Ackermann rues another lost final

FRUSTRATED Gloucester coach Johan Ackermann questioned why decisons were not always referred to the TMO following Garyn Smith’s somewhat controversial score...

Anscombe hits late winner to crown famous Blues recovery

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER CARDIFF Blues gave departing coach Danny Wilson the silverware his sterling efforts deserved in this pulsating Challenge Cup...

NZ are hypocrites in their fuss over Shields

IF there’s one rugby nation that England should not take any lectures from when it comes to adopting players from other...

Greatest? No way, but Hartley had his moments

READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK NICK CAIN EDDIE Jones is not averse to stirring the pot, and he did so...

Warnock words give heart to Blues

By PETER JACKSON Warrior’s cry: Dan Leavy hoists the European Champions Cup after Leinster beat Racing 92 PICTURE: Getty Images CARDIFF...

England up the heat in Pennyhill sweat-shop

By NICK CAIN ENGLAND’S preparations for the 2019 World Cup will involve training in sweltering tropical rainforest temperatures of 30 degrees...

Saracens tighthead Vincent Koch desperate to play part in Boks resurgence under Rassie Erasmus

The prop reveals he has held discussions with new South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus

Bumper crop of Tier Two are set to make the step up to Premiership

Bristol won't just be relying on the international stardust of Steven Luatua next season, actually they have an armoury of Championship...

The Rugby Paper’s Championship Team of the Season

Bristol dominate our XV, but there are some worthy mentions for other stars who were certainly in with a shout...

TEAMS: Champions Cup final squads released by Leinster and Racing 92

Leo Cullen names Leinster squad, as Pat Lambie is selected over Dan Carter by Racing

Cain column: Straight-talking Johan Ackermann has Gloucester on track

Nick Cain writes how Ackermann's arrival has been timed perfectly with the breakout seasons by Jake Polledri and Lewis Ludlow

EXCLUSIVE: Paddy Jackson signed for Sale before the outcry

Neil Fissler reveals details of what Sale offered the fly-half, per sources

Ed Slater to captain Gloucester in Challenge Cup final clash with Cardiff

Rested players come back into the starting XV for Gloucester's trip to Bilbao

Eddie Jones names squad to tour South Africa that includes Brad Shields and Danny Cipriani

Seven uncapped players named for tour Eddie says is one of the 'most challenging' of his England tenure

Jackson column: Rhys Thomas’ plight puts injury into perspective

By Peter Jackson Rhys Thomas began the season waiting for a heart transplant at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. He...

Guscott column: No need for gimmicks, just sort out the breakdown issues

Fix the breakdown and and sort the scrum and our game will be one hell of a spectacle

London Irish seek to bounce back with Stephen Myler signing

33-year-old Premiership winner join Kidney and Kiss' mission at Exiles

Sharks CEO Gary Teichmann plays down following Southern Kings and Cheetahs to PRO14

Former Springbok wants to bring the challenge to New Zealand's dominance in Super Rugby rather than be lured by the money...

Ireland coaches sign contract extensions

Ireland tour Australia in June and have locked down the futures of some of their coaching staff

Kyle Eastmond joins Cipriani and Haskell in leaving Wasps

Eastmond tops quartet not offered new deals by play-off contenders Wasps

Scotland select emerging players for summer tour of the Americas

Gregor Townsend rests seven first-teamers for June Tests

Injured should be OK says Dai

DAI YOUNG allayed fears a number of his key men could miss the forthcoming play-off semi-final against Saracens. Danny Cipriani and...

Walkabout Wasps seal third but get warning from Young

By ROSS HEPPENSTALL WASPS showed their Jekyll and Hyde tendencies after appearing to be coasting to victory before shipping three tries...

Kingston: Quins have their best squad ever

DEPARTING Quins boss John Kingston insists he is leaving the club with their best squad since the game went professional. “I...

Quins have no answer to Chiefs’ power game

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER EXETER finished their regular season by dabbing the accelerator when necessary as they look to their semi-final play-off...

No need for gimmicks, just sort the breakdown issues

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE…EVERY WEEK AUSTRALIAN Rugby Union is in a tricky situation in trying to keep the game sustainable...

DREAM TEAM

DAN MUGFORD, PLYMOUTH & FORMER CAMBRIDGE, SALE AND NOTTINGHAM FLY-HALF, …CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST… 1....

Bedraggled Quins stars could be axed by Eddie

COLIN BOAG Supporting your club can be a stressful business, as London Irish fans well know, but not far behind them...

Morally correct, but legally inconsistent

I’M confused what the correct decision is as the laws stand. At the Exeter v Sale game Jack Nowell clearly knocked-on...

Captaincy must be real reason Shields is on the fast-track

IT SEEMS everyone is missing the point on the Brad Shields debate. Of course he’s good enough, of course he’s eligible....

Arrogant to utilise Tier 2 for own ends

SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: The Rugby Paper, Tuition House, St Georges Road, Wimbledon SW19 4EU email: newsdesk@therugbypaper.co.uk THE head honchos at...

Blues sweat on Jenkins fitness

By ALEX BYWATER CARDIFF Blues are waiting anxiously on the fitness of captain Gethin Jenkins for their Challenge Cup final with...

Koch desperate to play part in Boks resurgence

By NEALE HARVEY SARACENS prop Vincent Koch would relish doing battle with the “enemy” from within his own club this summer...

Mercer glad to have Shields in England armoury

BACK row prospect Zach Mercer insists he has no issues with New Zealander Brad Shields being picked for June’s tour of...

Boyd factor can boost Burrell’s bid for England

By NEALE HARVEY LUTHER Burrell will forego his summer holidays in a bid to reignite his England career by spearheading a...

Exeter flier Turner set to call time after Chiefs rejection

EXETER Chiefs wing Lachlan Turner is determined to bow out a two-time Premiership champion after revealing why he will quit the...

Hassler’s left himself clubless

JEFF Hassler faces the prospect of starting next season without a club after turning down a £170,000-ayear contract extension with the...

Sharks primed for South African waters – Deacon

■By NEALE HARVEY ATTACK coach Paul Deacon believes Sale’s rebirth as a power in English rugby will be underlined by the...

MY LIFEIN RUGBY

THE FORMER ENGLAND, HARLEQUINS AND NORTHAMPTON HOOKER JOHN OLVER This week we celebrated the 30th anniversary of Harlequins’ 28-22 victory over...

Lions feel the bite as Hurricanes’ predator extends purple patch

■By GEORGE LAWRENCE Dangerman: Ben Lam scores for Huricanes PICTURE: Getty Images BEN Lam scored a hattrick as Hurricanes beat Lions...

Spedding dumped by new French red tape

DAVID BARNES FRENCH COLUMN Outcast: Scott Spedding is finding it impossible to sign for a new club PICTURE: Getty Images Top...

Record haul from Danish debutant Cassius

■By JON NEWCOMBE NEWS EXTRA NAMED after the greatest heavyweight champion of the world, Cassius Deschamps floored Estonia last week with...

Nervy draw ensures Students’ safety

■By CARL FIELD Welsh Championship round-up CARDIFF Metropolitan University secured their WRU National Championship status after picking up two points from...